About:
The Bookie’s Son by Andrew Goldstein is a coming of age novel set in the 1960s. This is the author’s debut novel and I hope he will pen a few more.
The publisher is giving away one copy of this book— use the Rafflecopter form at the end of the post to enter.
My rating for The Bookie’s Son – 4
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Thoughts:
The Bookie’s Son by Andrew Goldstein is an intelligent and funny novel about a somewhat dysfunctional, yet loving family in the 60s. Part a family story, part a coming of age story, the book grabs the reader’s attention on almost every page.
The strength of the novel is on its use of dialogue, the author manages to capture the style of the Bronx and the rhythm of the language with a few Yiddish words to spice it all up. The author manages to capture the sounds of the streets and families in a very human sense. I admired the way Mr. Goldstein encapsulated how kids talk differently on the street than they do at home.
Ricky becomes a man during these turbulent times. He learns his limitations but also what can be accomplished when one puts his mind to a task. The young boy becomes a man while seeing his father, his hero, being beaten down literally and figuratively; discovering that the world is not black and white and that the bad guys often win.
The book combines humor and drama together in a sensible way. You never know when one will start and the other will end. The characters are written very well, it’s hard to imagine that this is the first book the author has published.
Synopsis:
Ricky Davis is the son of a collector agent to a Jewish crime lord, gambler and, of course, a bookie. Growing up to a poor family in the Bronx during the 1960s is tough and the reader is introduce to many colorful characters, happiness and tragedy during Ricky’s teenage years.
The Davis family is also in the dire straits due to Mr. Davis’ addiction, but young Ricky has a plan. He will help his family out of the dire situation to a better life.
Buy this book in paper or electronic format
Zohar – Man of la Book
Disclaimer: I got this book for free from TLC Book Tours
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I would love to read this book—thanks for the opportunity to win a copy!
skkorman AT bellsouth DOT net
"The book combines humor and drama together in a sensible way." This is a fact of everyday life, yet few authors can really capture it well so it's nice to see that Goldstein did such a great job in his debut.
Thanks for being on the tour!
Thanks for the chance to win